


Of Death and Winchesters

by trenchcoatboy



Series: Soulmates and Rewrites [4]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Episode: s05e21 Two Minutes to Midnight, Episode: s05e22 Swan Song, M/M, POV Dean Winchester, POV Sam Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-04-07 01:10:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14069625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trenchcoatboy/pseuds/trenchcoatboy
Summary: The Apocalypse takes its toll.





	1. Names

Sam knows Dean's holding out for Cas to be alive, but he just can't get there himself. Death follows them everywhere, especially where soulmates are concerned. Why should Dean get away with anything when he, Dad, and even Bobby are left with scars instead of names? He wants Dean to be happy; of course he does. He just doesn't know if happiness is in the cards for either of them. So when he hears Dean's breaking voice saying his soulmate's name, he looks up, mesmerized by the sight of his brother holding his phone to his ear.

"Where the hell are you?"

Cas must answer with something.

"Are you okay?"

He can see Dean trying to not panic. Cas' response must be in the negative because the look of panic gets worse and starts spreading to Dean's voice when he asks his soulmate if he wants to elaborate. He must recover a little bit though because once Cas gives him a bit more information about the hospital he's apparently occupying he starts telling him about the cage and the four rings. But it's short-lived. The worried boyfriend face is back in full force after whatever Cas says in response to Dean's asking him to "zap over here" and Sam's mildly confused until he hears his brother, presumably finishing Cas' sentence, say "human." 

So he isn't dead, just out of power. They don't have to add his name to the list of people who have died because of them. That list still ends with Gabriel, and if Sam has any say in it, there won't be any more names.


	2. The Beginning of the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He didn't sign up for this shit.

Dean doesn't know whether to be overjoyed or terrified when he sees Cas walking toward Pestilence. On the one hand, his...Cas—soulmate sounds too fucking weird—is there, flesh and blood and not in some random hospital too many miles away, but on the other, the guy's more human than angel right now and is about to take on a fucking Horseman of the Apocalypse.

"Cas," he tries to say in warning, but it's too late and the much too human angel is on the floor with him and Sam, coughing up blood. Dean's wondering if this is going to be how they all die when Cas is suddenly on his feet, lurching toward Pestilence. He barely blinks and his... boyfriend? has cut off the Horseman's finger and killed the demon helping him. Dean scrambles up to help Cas off the ground while Sam goes to grab the ring off the unattached finger. He's thinking that hey, this might actually be a win when Pestilence leaves them with the eerie message that, despite their having his ring, it's too late. The words haunt all three of them as they head back to Bobby's and as much as he's glad to have Cas back with them (so glad he lets Sam drive so he and his angel—nope, that’s gross too—can share the backseat, Cas dozing with his head on Dean’s chest), he can't quite bring himself to be anything resembling happy. It doesn't help matters much when friggin' Crowley shows up and they learn that he's got Bobby's soul. Even worse is when he and Sam are out by Baby and his little brother is spewing all this crap about being less than everyone else—as if his level of fucked up can hold a candle to Dean's—and saying that he should take on Lucifer. He's about to tell Sam that that's as terrible an idea as it ever has been when Crowley interrupts them with even more fucking wonderful news, this time about Pestilence's plan to turn everyone into zombies via croatoan virus masquerading as a vaccine. The fun never ends.

That is, until Crowley reveals some weird streak of demon kindness and Bobby gets his legs back. It's not exactly much in the grand scheme of things, but they can use anything good right now. He tries to hold on to it, and to the fact that Cas is still breathing, as he goes off with a demon to kill Death. He tries to remember Cas saying that _good things do happen, Dean_ as he looks Death in the face and tells him he'll let his little brother say yes to the devil, as he talks to Bobby and realises he'll have to make good on that promise. But this is Sammy they're talking about sending to Hell. There's nothing that'll stop that from being the worst thing he's ever had to do. But he has to do it, has to let Sam make his own choice, has to let his little brother save the world.

So he does. Helps him get the demon blood, walks in to meet Lucifer with him, and watches as the Devil wins out and everything turns to shit.


	3. Here at the End of All Things...Except It Isn't

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is and isn't over at the same time.

“I suggest we imbibe copious quantities of alcohol.”

He can’t believe what he’s hearing. Castiel, angel of the fucking lord, who rebelled against everything he’d ever known for a couple of hunters (okay, he may have said it was all for Dean, but that’s not the point right now), is giving up hope. And maybe Dean doesn’t have any hope either but that damn sure doesn’t mean he’s going to stop fighting. Both Bobby and Cas look at him helplessly as if he’s the one to be worried about here. He turns away only to have Cas grab his arm.

“Dean.”

The angel looks at Bobby, seemingly unsure of what to say. The older hunter helps him out.

“Sam’s gone. There’s no bringin’ him back now.”

Dean feels as small as he’s ever felt when he responds.

“I can’t let him die alone.”

He looks from Cas to Bobby and back again. He wills the angel or human or soulmate or whatever the hell he is to understand that sitting by and letting this happen just isn’t something Dean can do. Cas doesn’t say anything, just holds Dean’s gaze and nods, letting go of his arm. Dean clears his throat and breaks the silence.

“I’m gonna call Chuck and see if he knows where this thing’s gonna go down.”

With another nod from Cas and a resigned look from Bobby, he carries on with his plan.

After getting the location from the prophet, he turns to his two companions again.

“I’m not askin’ either of you to come with me.”

He’s immediately greeted with Bobby’s signature exasperated face Cas looks at him like he’s suddenly become the most unintelligent life form to walk the planet. Again, it’s Bobby who speaks.

“Of course we’re comin’ with you, ya idjit.” 

Dean can't help the small, sad smile that forms as they all pile into Baby. There's every chance they’re going to their deaths, but there's no one he’d rather be with on his way to the end of the world.

The ride to Lawrence is quiet and nothing worth mentioning happens, unless you count the fact that Cas spends a large part of it holding his hand, which Dean definitely doesn't count as the kind of thing worth talking about; it's just sort of nice to have something to hold onto when everything's going to shit.

Then they finally get there and it's fucking Lucifer in his brother's body, all trace of Sam gone from his eyes, with Michael across from him, telling Dean that this fight does not concern him anymore. He's pretty sure the angel’s getting ready to gank him when Cas throws the holy fire and Michael disappears. He can talk to Sam now. But before he gets the chance to start, Lucifer has already snapped his fingers, once for Cas, once for Bobby, and the only person he loves who's still alive is stuck in a mental wrestling match with the devil. He tears his eyes away from where Cas was standing not three seconds ago and does all he can to reach his brother, but it's no use. With every punch Lucifer takes, he’s more and more certain he’s going to die here. And he’s more than okay with it. The Devil's taken all his reasons to stay, and none of them are coming back. Except, there's a glint of the sun and something changes in Lucifer's eyes. And then they aren't Lucifer's at all; they're Sam’s. And he's opening the doorway to Hell and taking Michael with him, with one last look at Dean before he hurls them both into the pit.


	4. Dead or Alive, There's Not Much Left

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel returns.

It could be minutes, hours, or days that he kneels there, at the place where his brother dove into Hell. He doesn't know and doesn't care about time or anything else on this godforsaken earth until the shadow of a familiar figure falls across his vision. It's Cas. Cas, who got fucking blown to bits by Lucifer, is standing right next to him. He's surprised when he hears his own voice.

“Cas, you’re alive?”

“I'm better than that.”

Cas brings his fingertips to Dean's forehead and, just like that, all his injuries from Lucifer are gone. Not only is Cas alive, but he's an angel again. Dean gets up, slowly, shock taking the front seat as far as his emotions go.

“Cas, what the hell?”

“I believe God brought me back. For what purpose, I don't yet know.”

Dean stares after him as he walks over to Bobby's body, restoring him just as easily as he healed Dean, who still can't do anything but stare. He snaps out of it enough to hug Bobby and tell him that he’ll see him later before he and Cas climb into Baby. After a while on the road, he finally gets back enough sense to speak and asks the new and improved angel what his plans are. When Cas says he's gonna go back to Heaven, a sick feeling rests in Dean's gut. Heaven is what got them into this mess. It's what got Sam locked in Hell. Why the fuck does Cas want to go back? He listens to the bullshit about taking over for Michael and doing the right thing and tells Cas just what he thinks about God, all the while hoping that some echo of the guy who went to see the end of the world with him will appear. But all he gets is a righteous soldier telling him he got what he asked for and spewing some crap about freedom before he disappears without so much as a goodbye. Different or not, though, he’s still Cas, and Dean wishes he would have stayed. The last thing he wants is to be alone right now. So he sets course for Bobby’s and tries not to think about how much he wishes Cas hadn't saved him.


End file.
